Shelby Clanton

Abraham Lincoln is one of the few people that have realized happiness is just a choice. He points this out by stating “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Lincoln had also said, “Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?” Just based off these two quotes you could infer that Lincoln was a deep thinker and a believer in the good. That is what the United States of America needs.
Prior to Lincoln becoming president he had worked as a store clerk, fought in the Black Hawk War, and was an involved member of the city he had lived in. Lincoln had been a normal man living with the people. He didn’t study politics most of his life, unlike the candidates considered today. Most politicians in office these days have been studying politics since they were capable of getting into college.
The sad thing is, our country is for the people, by the people, and run by the people...but it is really not. The agendas that politicians currently have are completely different then what the people truly want. Lincoln thought differently than what most would; he wasn’t scared to step over the line of normalcy. Some people are scared of change, what they don’t understand is that change is needed. We’ve had the same type of people in our office for decades now. We need new, younger minds. We need the people in office, not the drones created for it. Lincoln drove the stake in for change; imagine the possibilities of having more minds like him working to help our nation.
Shelby Clanton
Fisher Jr/Sr High School
Fisher, IL